Purchasing
a home is an achievement. It means you and your family worked hard to save
enough money to make it happen. Each morning you and 65 percent of homeowners across the country
wake up and admire where you are.
Nonetheless,
there are costs to a home. The smaller ones creep steadily up and weigh on your
budget. The larger ones take a huge chunk out of your finances. You can be
overwhelmed by all the things that need to be fixed, replaced, or spruced up.
Fortunately,
there's a way to ease some of the stress of homeownership. You need to select
the items where you need to spend money to avoid greater problems. On top of
that, you want to examine places where you can save. Here are a few tips.
SAVE:
Painting
Unless it
involves touching up a vaulted ceiling, you should be in charge of painting
your interior spaces. Today's paint mixes and the tools to brush them on have
steadily progressed in usefulness. What professional painters use is now available
to the public for a low cost.
The issue
homeowners have is making the time to paint. Simply add a break into your
schedule so it happens. Depending on how much needs to be done it can take a
few hours to a weekend to complete the task. If you take your time and be
careful then the final result will match or exceed what a professional can do.
SPEND:
Vacuums
Vacuums do
more than clean dirt from the floor. They're now an essential part of keeping
your home hypoallergenic. It's the reason you want to spend money on a vacuum.
For
instance, Miele vacuums, are canister-based with a
filter bag. Since no dust is released when the bag is changed, these types of
vacuums remain completely hygienic.
SAVE:
Landscaping
To have
someone come out every week to mow the lawn, trim, and pull weeds costs a good
deal. Though your lawn will look amazing you can save money and do the same.
Like painting, it requires some time.
It also
needs to be planned. Map out how you want your lawn and flower beds to look.
Starting in the spring, fertilize the yard and utilize environmentally safe
ways to stop weeds from sprouting.
To save
additional money look into xeriscapes. This is a method of landscaping that
replaces grass and flowers with rock gardens and succulent plants. When you
xeriscape you reduce yard work and the amount of water used for irrigation.
SPEND:
Insulation
Insulation
is what keeps every room in your home at the right temperature during the year.
Without the proper layers, you end up with areas that are too hot in the summer
and too cold in the winter. It's the reason you want to spend on this product.
It's not
difficult to install insulation on your own. You need to
measure spaces to determine how many rolls or how much spray is needed.
However, if you feel uncomfortable, then add some extra money to the budget to
hire a professional.
SAVE:
Basic Electrical & Plumbing
Basic
means small items like replacing an electrical outlet or a filter on a leaky
kitchen faucet. It doesn't mean replacing your entire circuit breaker or
installing a tankless water heater. Those should be done by licensed
professionals.
You can
save on minor updates and repairs if you follow two steps. First, read
directions for everything before doing the work. Second, make sure the power
and water are turned off in the areas where you perform the actions. Not doing
either of those things results in more money spent.
SPEND:
HVAC Maintenance Programs
The
heating and cooling equipment in your home is critical to your family's comfort
and safety. Failure of either result in sweltering heat or bitter cold. So,
spend the money on a maintenance program on your heater and air conditioner.
The basic
policy gives you a twice-yearly checkup on this equipment along with a
cleaning. Upgrades provide reduced costs for essential repairs. In the end, it
generates peace of mind for everyone.
Consider
these areas to spend and save money around your home. They can keep your
property in top-notch shape.
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